bony fish

noun

: any of a major taxon (class Osteichthyes or superclass Teleostomi) comprising fishes (such as sturgeons, eels, mackerels, and sunfish) with a bony rather than a cartilaginous skeleton

called also teleost

compare cartilaginous fish, jawless fish

Examples of bony fish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Also found at the site were some bony fish scales and teeth and incomplete plesiosaurian teeth, indicating a humid climate and complex ecosystem, according to the paper. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025 Stingrays are a staple in a Florida hammerhead's diet, along with grouper, sea catfish, a variety of bony fishes, sharks, crabs, and squid, per the FWC. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025 The ocean sunfish is the world's heaviest bony fish, not including stingrays or sharks. Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025 This species is also the longest bony fish in the world, growing up to 8 meters (or 26 feet) or more. David Bressan, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bony fish

Word History

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bony fish was in 1673

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Cite this Entry

“Bony fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bony%20fish. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

bony fish

noun
: any of a class of fishes (as eels, mackerels, and trout) with bony rather than cartilaginous skeletons

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